<p>In episode 41 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Mike Eaton, who has 17 years sober and opens up about the turning point that changed his life forever. After years of failed attempts to get sober, Mike’s addiction led to a fatal drunk driving accident that took someone’s life, resulting in him getting sober while incarcerated. He shares what it was like to confront the weight of that reality, take accountability, and begin true recovery behind bars. Mike also speaks candidly about being diagnosed with Bipolar 1, how untreated mental health impacted his addiction, and what it’s taken to manage his diagnosis through medication, structure, and sobriety. This conversation explores accountability, mental health, and what long-term recovery really looks like after irreversible loss.</p><p><br></p><p>Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that challenge stigma and bring awareness to mental health and addiction.</p><p><br></p><p>Chapters |</p><p>00:00 Welcome &amp; Introduction</p><p>00:29 Early Substance Use &amp; Childhood</p><p>01:46 Escalation &amp; Early Consequences</p><p>06:00 Major Life Losses &amp; Hitting Rock Bottom</p><p>09:20 First Journey to Sobriety</p><p>12:00 Underlying Mental Health &amp; Relapse</p><p>14:14 Mania, Breakdown, and Recovery Setbacks</p><p>17:00 Addiction&#39;s Toll: Loss, Depression, and Rock Bottom</p><p>20:00 DUI, Fatal Accident &amp; Jail Time</p><p>24:00 Prison Experience &amp; Personal Growth</p><p>28:00 Release, Recovery, and Starting Over</p><p>33:00 Dream Life Program &amp; Life After Prison</p><p>36:00 Managing Resentment &amp; Forgiveness</p><p>40:00 Living with Bipolar &amp; Balanced Medication</p><p>44:00 Breaking Stigma: Addiction &amp; Community</p><p>48:00 Understanding Addiction &amp; Disease Concept</p><p>52:00 Mental Health, Medication, &amp; Recovery Perspective</p><p>56:00 Ongoing Growth &amp; Reflections</p><p>58:46 Closing Thoughts &amp; Gratitude</p><p><br></p><p>Fuck the Stigma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes people shouldn’t be judged or labeled based on their mental health status. Whether you are struggling with an addiction or have been taking meds for a diagnosis, our community doesn’t judge and seeks to collectively end the stigma around mental health. Our mission is to normalize mental health and mental illness as widespread, treatable, and acceptable. We do this by providing useful resources, improving access to services for those who need help, sharing stories, and building a community of young people who all agree… </p><p><br></p><p>Follow us! </p><p>Website | https://fthestigma.com/</p><p>Instagram | https://instagram.com/fukthestigma</p><p>TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@fthestigma</p><p>Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/FTStigma</p><p>X | https://x.com/fthestigma</p><p>Subscribe for more! | https://www.youtube.com/@fthestigma</p><p><br></p><p>Tags in this video ↓fthestigma, podcast, addiction, recovery, trauma, anxiety, depression, ptsd, mentalhealth, mentalillness, nonprofit, vulnerability, youth, healthandwellness, god, sobriety, relapse, treatment, loss, grief, addicts, recovery, addict, relationships, psychological, experience, spiritual, spirituality, alcoholic, addiction recovery, insanity, psychosis, story, neglect, jail, prescription, alcoholic, alcoholism, treatment, diagnosis, prison, criminal, psychology, doctor, dealer, baltimore diagnosis, felony, felonies, forgiveness, spiritual, DUI#fthestigma #podcast #addiction #overdoseawareness #nonprofit #mentalhealth #mentalillness</p>